Robin Hood (2006 TV Series) - Production

Production

Comprising thirteen 45-minute episodes per series, Robin Hood was created by Dominic Minghella and Foz Allan, who serve as executive producers on the series, with Minghella the chief writer. Minghella was previously responsible for the successful ITV network comedy-drama series Doc Martin. Richard Burrell is the producer, and the other writers involved on the first series were Paul Cornell, Mark Wadlow, Debbie Oates, Kurti & Doyle and Joe Turner.

The first series had a reported budget of £8 million. The programme was specifically designed to run in the same Saturday evening family drama slot as the successful revival of Doctor Who, filling the slot in Doctor Who's absence between series. Shot in the high definition format, the programme was also broadcast on the BBC's BBC HD service.

Robin Hood was announced as a possible commission by BBC One Controller Peter Fincham in July 2005, but not officially confirmed by Head of Drama Jane Tranter until 24 October that year. On 18 February 2006, the Daily Mirror newspaper announced that actor Jonas Armstrong had been cast in the lead role in the series. This was confirmed by the BBC in a press release on 3 April 2006, which announced that filming on the series had begun in Hungary and also announced further casting.

On Thursday 23 November 2006, the BBC confirmed that the programme had been renewed for a second series, to be shown in 2007. Filming began in March 2007, and the first episode of the second series aired at 7:30pm on Saturday 6 October 2007.

Lucy Griffiths, who played Marian, left at the end of the show's second series, although she made a brief appearance at the conclusion of the third series.

Joining the cast for the third series were Joanne Froggatt, as a character named "Kate", a Locksley villager, Lara Pulver, as Guy of Gisborne's sister Isabella, David Harewood as Friar Tuck and Toby Stephens as Prince John, and Clive Standen as Archer, Robin's half brother. On 7 August 2008 it was announced that Jonas Armstrong would be leaving the programme at the conclusion of the third series, in "an explosive and nail-biting finale."

In January 2009, the writer Sally Wainwright told The Stage entertainment industry newspaper that she had been asked to oversee a creative revamp of the programme for its fourth series. The BBC confirmed to the paper that she had been asked to work on ideas for the show, but despite this, the fourth season was not commissioned.